"I should have my 'girl citizenship' revoked. never get facials. I never get my nails done. I'm so busy," says Megan Mullally about the lack of carryover from the pampered Park Avenue trophy wife she plays on Will & Grace to the hectic reality of shooting the hit NBC comedy. Other than being "a happy person," the Emmy Award-winning actress swears she is nothing like Karen, the my-way-or-the-highway socialite she portrays. While her co-star Debra Messing occasionally borrows from her character Grace's funky wardrobe, Mullally claims she'd never be caught dead in one of Karen's outfits. "They are too 'rich lady' for me," she says. Instead, the 5-foot-4-inch Irish-American beauty takes her more youthful style cues from "Japanese girls" and aspires to smell like a Parisian. And when she gets a break from the small-screen grind, the 42-year-old Oklahoma native does not sit around watching hawks making lazy circles in the sky. This year she has three films coming out--two comedies, Speaking of Sex and Monkey Bone, and the film noir Everything Put Together.

What was it like growing up the daughter of a model? My mom is like girl power to the nth degree. I'm a compulsive nose powderer, and I definitely got that from her. I prefer a less feminine presentation, though. I like looser clothing, which always prompts my mom to say something classic like, "You have such a darling figure--show it off more!"

How do you care for your hair? I have the gray covered with Redken Shades EQ Conditioning Color Gloss [only at salons]. I also like Kiehl's shampoos and Bumble and Bumble Super Rich conditioner.

What's your best hair disaster story? I had an unfortunate perm in the eighties that bleached my hair the color of a dead leaf. Then I got a roommate who happened to be a hairdresser. A month after he moved in, he said, "I cannot spend one more night under the same roof with that hair!" He made me come to the salon, and he totally changed it.

What's in your makeup bag? Vincent Longo Water Canvas, a water-based cream-to-powder foundation, in Creme Beige; MAC pressed powder in NC 15; MAC chestnut lip pencil; Maybelline Great Lash mascara; Body Shop Honey Lip Care; Stila blushes in cream and Tutu; and Stila Sophia lip color.

Do you ever tan in the sun? No! I grew up in Oklahoma City at a time when you were supposed to be tan or die. I wouldn't wear skirts because my legs were so white. It wasn't until I was 36 that I was able to leave the house in a skirt. Fortunately I've learned to love my white skin.

Describe your clothing style. I don't like anything that's too froufrou. I feel best in really simple clothes. My favorite article of clothing is a suede Tiffany-blue Elmer Fudd-style hat I found at Barneys. It's got fake fur and ear-flaps. It's so cute.

Who are your favorite shoemakers? I like chunky Prada shoes. I have big old healthy Oklahoma ballet-girl calves and ankles, so those beautiful delicate little Manolo Blahniks make my legs look like pencils sharpened down to the little points of my shoes at the end.

What do you do for exercise? I've been taking yoga for about a year and a half. I do between three and five classes a week. It's my one luxury, and it's so worth it.

You studied ballet, right? I was a soloist in a ballet company from eighth grade to 12th grade. I studied for two of those summers at the School of American Ballet in New York City. It was very intense. I never had time to have a proper boyfriend, so I spent a lot of my 20s and 30s trying to make up for it.

Do you have a boyfriend now? Yes, I have a great boyfriend. His name is Nick. I've always gone for skinny, rock and roll, androgynous guys, but he's like a TV repairman--big and solid.

Is there anything about your appearance that's always bugged you? I've gotten to a point where I've accepted that my weight goes up and down 15 pounds on either side. I've been supercrazy borderline-eating-disorder thin, like 95 pounds, and I've been 130 pounds. Somewhere in the middle is where I like to be.